If you believe that simpler is better, then you’ll love the Excalibur Matrix 310 crossbow.
I’ve been lucky enough to draw an elk tag in Wyoming four years in a row with the goal of taking one of those majestic mountain bulls with an X-bow. Ironically, my one year of success occurred when the cocking device of my bow broke during transport and I ended up taking a nice 5×5 with a Hoyt compound.
So far, I’ve tested TenPoint, Mission, and, this year, Excalibur. The launch of the Matrix 405 caught my attention and I tested one, thinking that the extra arrow speed would be perfect for the challenge of elk and perhaps a 50-yard shot. The cocking device makes bringing the 290-pound bow to full draw easy and the anti-dryfire device worked simple enough.
I love the thumbhole stock and the premium crossbow scope looked like the dream package for elk. However, I couldn’t cock the bow with a cocking rope and needed to rely on the crank. What if I needed a quick second shot?
The Matrix 310
When the Matrix 310 was launched, I gave it a try and soon changed my mind. This bow is such a simple design that it doesn’t need an anti-dryfire device and I learned why with my fifth bolt.
Shooting a crossbow without an arrow seems like an inexcusable mistake, yet I’ve done it several times. Once done, the error seems to eliminate the problem in the future.
Excalibur doesn’t recommend dry firing the bow, yet the fact that it doesn’t have the device says much about its strength and durability.
After my first day on the range, I loved how easily the 310 cocked, handled, and fired. Although the 405 had speed to spare, the 310 certainly was adequate. Using the light 18-inch Diablo bolts with two-inch fletching saw little loss in penetration from 20 to 40 yards. I measured the penetration on bolts at 30 and 40 yards and found no significant difference.
The Full 310 Package
The Matrix 310 comes as a package with a 10.9 inch power stroke, dressed in Mossy Oak BreakUp Infinity camouflage, and it weights a mere 5.1 lbs.
You also get a bow quiver that easily detaches, and four Diablo arrows with 150-grain target points. Excalibur recommends using 150-grain field points and expandable broadheads, finding the increased FOC weight adds to accuracy.
Expandables were fine for deer, but for elk I wanted a cut-on-contact head and chose NAP’s HellRazor heads in 125 grains.
On the first shot, I was pleased to find that the HellRazors shot exactly like the 150-grain target points out to 50 yards. Excalibur offers Multiplex scopes that adjust to arrow speed and by setting my scope at “310,” I received precise aiming out to 50 yards with no further adjustments.
The illuminated reticle was perfect for deep timber ambush spots and greatly helped focus on ranging dots with the numeric range clearly marked by each aiming point. The simplicity of the recurve limbs is a huge benefit. Should you accidentally cut a string, a new one can be easily replaced, and there are no cables or cams to tune or worry about.
Teton Tough Testing
A full week of elk hunting is tough on any bow, and even more difficult on one that is often carried perpendicular to trees, limbs, and branches that grope at the string like children grabbing for Halloween candy.
Climbing mountains in the dark, through thick pines and over blowdowns, is murder on hunter and gear, yet the 310 proved its mettle. Each night upon return to camp, I tested the zero and performance of the bow on a camp target. Each time the bolt was squarely on-bull, although only one man in camp could pull the arrow due to its incredible penetration.
Whether you want a crossbow for fun, tree-stand deer hunting, or adventure hunts like this one, the Excalibur Matrix series will be hard to beat. I have two deer licenses in the Great Plains this fall, and I can’t wait to launch the 310 on open ground.
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